Before the Kiss
by lost-in-arendelle
Summary: Partially filling the gap between Anna and Elsa's embrace on the ship and the sled gift moment, this scene takes place right after the sisters hug. Anna has a million things she wants to say to Kristoff, Elsa is terrified about what awaits her back on shore in Arendelle, Kristoff can't stop staring at Anna, and Olaf just wants some hugs!


"Whoa!"

Anna laughed as the deck lurched beneath her feet. Pulling free from Elsa's embrace, she smiled out at the beautiful, blue fjord, where two dozen other ships bobbed and rocked on the waves, once more unencumbered by ice. She could hear Hans splash and struggle somewhere nearby, and her smile broadened. She was pleased beyond measure to be warm and dry while he cursed in the water below.

"I guess I froze in just the right spot," she said happily.

But Elsa didn't laugh, and the sudden pain in her expression made Anna wince.

Okay. So maybe her sister wasn't ready for jokes.

"_That_ was the wrong thing to say," Anna said quickly, "That was just- I'm sorry. Too soon. Yes. Too soon." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and wondered if she and Elsa could ever make up for all the years they'd lost. She needed to get to know her sister all over again, and she had no idea how to start. The beautiful, intimidating woman in front of her was still a stranger.

"So-" she and Elsa said at the same time. Their eyes met, and this time, they both laughed. Perhaps this wouldn't be so difficult after all.

"So, what happens now?" Anna didn't mean to glance at Kristoff when she asked, but she couldn't help it. He was still standing off to the side, one arm around Sven, looking at her the way she'd always wanted someone to look at her- like she was special, brave, better than hot cocoa, _perfect-_ just the way she was. And she wished he'd come closer.

"Do you think they'll let me remain queen?" Elsa whispered. She squeezed Anna's hands, drawing her attention back to her sister, whose eyebrows were drawn in worry. "After what I did, will they ever trust me again?"

"_Yes_," Anna said. She gave Elsa's hands an emphatic shake. "They will, because you didn't mean to hurt anyone and everything's fixed now." She glanced over her shoulder at the half-demolished castle. "Well… almost everything. And there's nothing anyone can do anyway," she added firmly. "We're a monarchy."

"Queens have been overthrown before."

"But not this time." Anna gave her sister's hands one last squeeze before letting go. She could hear commotion at the side of the ship and tugged Elsa towards the railing.

"Your majesty!" a small band of Arendelle soldiers smiled up at them from a rowboat. "We've come to escort you back to shore."

One stood and pressed his hat against his chest.

"On behalf of the Royal Guard," he said, sweeping into a bow, "I thank you and Princess Anna for saving Arendelle and uncovering the snake in our midst." His eyes shot to Hans, sputtering and swimming away from another rowboat of soldiers intent on chasing and capturing him. "We will see that the 'prince' is securely locked in the keep until your majesty decides what to do with him."

"Thank you," Elsa said. She glanced at Anna, a hesitant and hopeful smile on her face, as the soldiers hooked a rope ladder to the side of the ship.

"See," Anna elbowed her lightly in the ribs. "I knew they'd be happy to have you back."

"It's just a few guards." Elsa lowered her eyes, but the smile remained. "I hope… I hope the townspeople are so forgiving."

"Only one way to find out," Anna said cheerfully. She gestured to the ladder. "Go ahead,_ your majesty_. And you, too, Olaf." She glanced over her shoulder at a certain ice harvester. "I'll be right- right behind you."

As soon as one of the soldiers helped Elsa onto the ladder and guided her down, Anna spun around and grinned at Kristoff. With her hands folded behind her back, she tried to look sophisticated and calm as she strolled towards him, but all she wanted to do was skip and leap into his open arms. He'd come back for her! And if Olaf was right, he _loved_ her, and that- well, that was amazing.

"Hello," she said, stopping when their toes touched.

"Hello." His eyes never left hers. She felt like he was trying to drink her in, to memorize her every freckle.

"You came back for me."

He nodded.

"And you- on the ice- you were looking for me?" His voice low, his eyes soft, and his expression vulnerable, Anna felt the question all the way down to the tingling tips of her toes.

"Yes!" And because she just couldn't stand not touching him for one more minute, she threw her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest. She felt the breath catch in his lungs. He exhaled and wrapped his arms around her back, hesitantly, wonderingly, as if he couldn't believe the moment was real. Then he bent his head and pressed his own cheek to the top of her head, and neither spoke a single, unnecessary word. It was perfect. For the first time in forever, everything felt right in her world.

"Princess Anna?" The soldier behind them cleared his throat, and Anna reluctantly loosened her grip. "If you're ready?"

She glanced up at Kristoff, suddenly realizing that there were actually _many_ necessary words to say and no time to say them. But surely they'd find a moment alone once they reached the shore, and then she resolved to tell him that she wanted to give love another chance… with him.

He followed her into the rowboat after reassuring Sven that another boat was on its way, and sat down beside Anna. Under the cover of her skirts, he secretly held her hand as the soldiers rowed them back to shore. A crowd of people had gathered at the shoreline, waving and smiling from the piers as they approached.

"You'll be fine," Anna promised, watching frost spread out from under Elsa's hands as she anxiously gripped the bench across from them. "And I'll be right beside you."

"Promise?"

They were surrounded the moment they stepped onto solid ground. Anna kept her hand in Kristoff's and looped her free arm through Elsa's.Both of her companions looked nauseous and ready to faint.

"They don't bite," Anna teased. "Just smile and say hello!"

"Yeah…" Kristoff swallowed, staring wide-eyed at the crowd.

"Perhaps- perhaps the guards could clear a path for us back to the castle," Elsa said, her eyes just as wide as his.

But before she could catch a guard's attention, Olaf ducked out from under her cape and waved at the crowd.

"Hi," he said, "I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"

Elsa cringed. Kristoff groaned. Anna watched the townspeople blink and stare while Olaf waited, his arms outstretched, his enormous smile frozen in place.

And then a little girl, no older than Anna had been when Elsa made the first Olaf, wiggled out from between her parents' legs and toddled straight into the snowman's arms. Barely taller than Olaf himself, she wrapped her arms around him and giggled as snowflakes landed on her nose. Her giggle brought out Olaf's, and the laughter spread through the crowd like magic, a little ripple of joy caused by a simple hug.

Anna grinned, thrilled to see Elsa's shoulders relax as more children ran out from the crowd to meet Olaf.

"Can you make me a snowman friend, Queen Elsa?" a little girl asked, sinking into a very wobbly curtsy.

"I don't have a brother," another boy said solemnly, his bow adorably deep. "Do you think I could have a snowman brother instead?"

"Can you really make snow fall out of the sky?"

"Could you make us a hill for sledding?"

"Do all queens know magic?"

"Your dress is _so_ pretty!"

Elsa smiled and knelt down, holding her arms out to the little girl who touched the edge of her cape in awe. She walked straight into her arms, and in that moment, Anna knew that everything would be okay.

She squeezed Kristoff's hand and leaned up on her toes.

"After we get to the castle, promise you'll stay? For a few days, at least?"

When he smiled, she fought the sudden, breathless urge to kiss him.

"Do you _want_ me to stay?"

She pressed her lips together and nodded.

"I owe you a sled, and it will take some time to arrange it." But of course, that wasn't the only reason she wanted to keep him close. She just didn't know how to say the rest.

"Anna, you don't need to-"

"We have plenty of room," she said quickly, "and I'm sure Kai can find some summer clothes to fit you, and Cook is actually quite talented and you _must_ be hungry, so you'll have to stay for supper." She took a breath and charged on, "And you haven't had a chance to really meet Elsa, and Sven can stay in the stables and eat all the carrots he wants, and it will be dark soon, so-"

His thumb brushed across her mouth.

"If you want me," he said, gazing into her eyes as if he was making a promise, "I'll stay."

She closed her hand over his where it rested on her face and looked up at him, hoping he could read the unsaid words in her face, because all she could manage to whisper was,

"I do."

~*~ The End ~*~


End file.
